2008 MIT Sloan MBA Waitlist Chat with Jennifer Burke Barba

2008 MIT Sloan MBA Waitlist Chat with Jennifer Burke Barba

Please feel free to let us know if you would like to be informed of future chats by sending e-mail to chat@accepted.com. We would also be interested in knowing if you would prefer a different format or different topics.

Linda Abraham (Feb 20, 2008 12:58:23 PM)
Hello. My name is Linda Abraham. I am the founder of Accepted.com and
the moderator of today’s chat. First I want to welcome you all to
Accepted.com’s MIT Sloan waitlist chat. I also want to
welcome Sloan’s Jen Burke Barba, Associate Director and Waitlist
Manager. Thanks to everyone for joining.

Linda Abraham (Feb 20, 2008 12:59:07 PM)
Please post your questions, and I will choose as many as possible from
the ones you post and our guest will respond. You can also post follow
up questions.

Sherwin (Feb 20, 2008 12:59:15 PM)
Do you review Round I waitlisted candidates during Round II? If so, in
years past, what percentage of students accepted off the waitlist were
notified during Round II? Also, in years past, what percentage of
students were accepted off the waitlist?

JenniferBurkeBarbaMIT (Feb 20, 2008 1:00:07 PM)
Hi Sherwin, Yes, we hope to review round 1 WL applicants during the
Round 2 process. I don't have data on how many people have been accepted
from R1 WL during R2, typically not a lot.

JenniferBurkeBarbaMIT (Feb 20, 2008 1:00:45 PM)
Chris, this year's waitlist is about the same as in previous years, we have about 75 people.

A. Hartman (Feb 20, 2008 1:00:46 PM)
How does financial aid work if you are accepted very late in the process?

JenniferBurkeBarbaMIT (Feb 20, 2008 1:01:28 PM)
Everyone is still considered for financial aid, that is loans. But if
you are admitted late in the process there most likely will not be any
fellowships left.

Subu (Feb 20, 2008 1:01:36 PM)
What can we do as waitlisted applicants to increase our chances of admission?

JenniferBurkeBarbaMIT (Feb 20, 2008 1:02:28 PM)
Subu, the best thing to do is stay in touch with us. We want to know of
any updates that could impact your candidacy (promotions, volunteer
work, etc) and that if we were to extend you an offer, that you would
accept.

lovesloan (Feb 20, 2008 1:02:32 PM)
What % of all the waitlisted applicants have NOT been interviewed?

JenniferBurkeBarbaMIT (Feb 20, 2008 1:03:03 PM)
More than 50% of the WL have not been interviewed.

Saurabh & Ananya (Feb 20, 2008 1:03:13 PM)
Hi, we have both received a waitlist without an interview invite. How do we go forward from there? Can we expect an interview?

JenniferBurkeBarbaMIT (Feb 20, 2008 1:03:57 PM)
An interview is required for admission. We hope to get some WL
candidate interviews in during the round 2 interview process (Taking
place in March), otherwise I intend to interview people throughout the
months of May/June, as needed. Interviews are by invitation only.

Hamid (Feb 20, 2008 1:04:11 PM)
How early will the R1 waitlisted candidates be contacted from the Admissions Committee with an update? Thank you.

Patience (Feb 20, 2008 1:04:31 PM)
Will candidates who were not interviewed before being placed on the
waitlist only be considered once the candidates who have already had an
interview are offered admission?

JenniferBurkeBarbaMIT (Feb 20, 2008 1:04:36 PM)
Hamid, we won't have any updates until we make decisions for Round 2.

Saurabh & Ananya (Feb 20, 2008 1:04:39 PM)
What sort of updates are you looking for as a part of the process?

JenniferBurkeBarbaMIT (Feb 20, 2008 1:04:46 PM)
Patience, no.

CL (Feb 20, 2008 1:04:51 PM)
Is it recommendable to get support letters in addition from the recommender letters of the application?

JenniferBurkeBarbaMIT (Feb 20, 2008 1:05:36 PM)
Saurabh, updates that are relevant to our process. Like I mentioned
before, professional accomplishments, extra curricular accomplishments,
possibly additional recommendation letters - as long as they are
telling us something we have not already seen.

JenniferBurkeBarbaMIT (Feb 20, 2008 1:06:05 PM)
Carsten, yes, it's great to to get support letters, especially from
people from our community (current students, alums, professors).

Tony (Feb 20, 2008 1:06:13 PM)
How many more do you expect to waitlist in Round II? Typically, how many are ultimately admitted off the WL?

JenniferBurkeBarbaMIT (Feb 20, 2008 1:07:07 PM)
Tony, I wish I had that answer. We hope to keep the WL # under 100
people. But people are constantly dropping off (they decide to go to
another program), so it's very hard to say now.

Injae (Feb 20, 2008 1:07:22 PM)
How many or what proportion of wait-listed applicants "finally" got accepted last year?

JenniferBurkeBarbaMIT (Feb 20, 2008 1:07:43 PM)
Oh... last year we did not admit anyone from the WL, but that was the
first time that had ever happened in school history. The year before
that we admitted about 35 off the wl.

Chris_R (Feb 20, 2008 1:07:58 PM)
At this time, how much of an effect will a Sloan professor's
recommendation help our chances of being accepted? Or in other words,
how much "pull" do professors have in the admissions process (in
general)?

JenniferBurkeBarbaMIT (Feb 20, 2008 1:09:04 PM)
Chris, a recommendation letter does not make the decision. But for
candidates like yourself, on the WL, an extra letter especially from a
Sloan faculty member can really help show your commitment and fit with
the program.

lovesloan (Feb 20, 2008 1:09:13 PM)
If I am waitlisted without an interview, will I be invited to interview
during round II, or most likely after round II is finished?

JenniferBurkeBarbaMIT (Feb 20, 2008 1:11:07 PM)
A. Hartman - the list is not prioritized or ranked. Basically the wl is
a collection of candidates that we see fit to enter the program, but we
just did not have space at the time decisions were made. So we take
people off the list dependent on those who drop off.

CL (Feb 20, 2008 1:11:08 PM)
Lets assume we had a bad day in the interview. Is there any chance for
a second interview, e.g. if we visit campus and drop by at the
admissions office?

JenniferBurkeBarbaMIT (Feb 20, 2008 1:12:06 PM)
Hi Carsten... I don't think you had a bad interview :-). If you visit
campus you might be able to chat with me or someone else. It all
depends on our availability. We do not make appointments to meet with
WL candidates.

Ivan (Feb 20, 2008 1:12:07 PM)
What does it mean to be waitlisted without having been interviewed? Is
that better or worse than having been waitlisted after an interview?

JenniferBurkeBarbaMIT (Feb 20, 2008 1:13:01 PM)
Ivan, it doesn't mean anything. Basically we are only able to interview
a small portion of applicants, about 25%, and out of those we are only
able to admit about 40%. So sometimes we're just not able to interview
everyone we'd like all at once.

LocoJohnny (Feb 20, 2008 1:14:32 PM)
Regarding keeping you updated on our candidacy, how often is too often to stay in touch?

JenniferBurkeBarbaMIT (Feb 20, 2008 1:15:06 PM)
Loco... use your best judgment. Not every day, and probably not every week.

cassie (Feb 20, 2008 1:15:20 PM)
Are those waitlisted without an interview at a disadvantage to those who have been interviewed?

JenniferBurkeBarbaMIT (Feb 20, 2008 1:15:27 PM)
Cassie, no.

Linda Abraham (Feb 20, 2008 1:15:32 PM)
I would say not more often than when you have something to say, Loco.

Tony (Feb 20, 2008 1:15:45 PM)
What does it say about your chances if you were interviewed and then waitlisted?

JenniferBurkeBarbaMIT (Feb 20, 2008 1:16:14 PM)
Tony, your chances are equal to that of someone who was not interviewed.

quant08 (Feb 20, 2008 1:16:21 PM)
In regard to Sherwin's question: Since a few R1 WL candidates might be
accepted during round 2, is there a suggested deadline for submitting
additional materials for Round 2?

JenniferBurkeBarbaMIT (Feb 20, 2008 1:17:00 PM)
quant 08, the decision date for r2 is April 7, so about a week before that would be best.

Chris Mather (Feb 20, 2008 1:17:09 PM)
Jennifer, if we feel we could add information that would answer
potential questions in the application is it appropriate to submit via
email? For example, if one (like say me) wanted to get more specific in
certain areas?

gongarda (Feb 20, 2008 1:19:23 PM)
Hi Jennifer, as per the waitlist invitation, waitlisted applicants are
not ranked. Then, how does the process work? Each time a vacancy
arrives, you scan all waitlisted applications?

JenniferBurkeBarbaMIT (Feb 20, 2008 1:20:59 PM)
Gongarda, vacancies are filled based on the profile of the student who
dropped. So if an international woman decided not to accept our offer,
we might look for another int'l woman on the wl to fill that spot.
Although as time continues, especially into the summer months, we look
for people who would 100% accept our offer, and profile is not as
important.

TimFisher (Feb 20, 2008 1:21:05 PM)
If we are not accepted from the waitlist this year, will we be able to
get feedback on how to strengthen our application if we want to apply
again next year?

JenniferBurkeBarbaMIT (Feb 20, 2008 1:21:35 PM)
Tim, no promises. If you were interviewed you might be able to get some advice form your interviewer.

A. Hartman (Feb 20, 2008 1:21:47 PM)
Is there any value to an additional campus visit at this point?

JenniferBurkeBarbaMIT (Feb 20, 2008 1:22:22 PM)
A. Hartman, only if you feel as though you did not show a commitment to the school in your initial application.

VeronicaM (Feb 20, 2008 1:22:34 PM)
I have already submitted a letter of intent to enroll if accepted off
the Sloan waitlist. Would it be helpful for me to submit an additional
update on my professional and personal accomplishments in early March?

JenniferBurkeBarbaMIT (Feb 20, 2008 1:23:00 PM)
Veronica, only if there is something else to add/tell us about, that you have not already shared.

Brian (Feb 20, 2008 1:23:08 PM)
Hi Jen, where does the line get drawn between keeping Sloan up-to-date
on our lives/jobs and annoying you with too many communications?

JenniferBurkeBarbaMIT (Feb 20, 2008 1:23:49 PM)
Brian, use your best judgment. This is all part of the evaluation process.

Daniel Mazor (Feb 20, 2008 1:23:51 PM)
If we applied for a specific program (E&I or LFM), does this affect our approach to advocating for our candidacy?

JenniferBurkeBarbaMIT (Feb 20, 2008 1:24:32 PM)
Daniel, I'm not sure what you're asking. If you are a wl candidate and
applied for LFM, you'll still be considered for LFM. Same with E&I.

Brian (Feb 20, 2008 1:25:06 PM)
Is there a capacity for the E&I program and, if so, does that factor into admission decisions?

JenniferBurkeBarbaMIT (Feb 20, 2008 1:25:14 PM)
Giancarlo, not necessarily. You want to be adding information to your file, not just repeating thing that we already have.

JenniferBurkeBarbaMIT (Feb 20, 2008 1:25:49 PM)
Brian, at this time we have not been given any restrictions for
E&I. Although that could change depending on how many people are
admitted to
E&I in round 2.

Dante Cassanego (Feb 20, 2008 1:25:52 PM)
I really believe that Sloan is the right place for me. How best can I
communicate this to the committee? Would it be appropriate to schedule
a visit to Sloan?

JenniferBurkeBarbaMIT (Feb 20, 2008 1:26:30 PM)
Dante, just tell us this in an email, explain why it's the right place, using specifics. You do not need to visit.

gongarda (Feb 20, 2008 1:26:42 PM)
The last date MIT provides as decision date is Aug 29th. Does this date
take into account visa delays for international applicants or is just a
last date from MIT logistics point of view?

JenniferBurkeBarbaMIT (Feb 20, 2008 1:27:23 PM)
Gongarda, actually for international students the last possible date I could take you off the wl would be in early July.

Brian (Feb 20, 2008 1:27:37 PM)
Are there Sloan student ambassadors who were waitlisted themselves and could share their experiences with us?

JenniferBurkeBarbaMIT (Feb 20, 2008 1:28:34 PM)
Brian, yes there are, but everyone has a very different experience with
the wl and each year the need/numbers are different, so I'm cautious
to have them on a chat like this because there is no "typical" path
from wl to admit.

Chris_R (Feb 20, 2008 1:28:51 PM)
It is my understanding that the E&I program is selected in a
secondary round of review. When does that round occur? And will
waitlisted students be eligible for review if accepted late in the
process (say, September 1st as an extreme)?

JenniferBurkeBarbaMIT (Feb 20, 2008 1:29:29 PM)
Chris, it is my understanding that yes, wl candidates can still be
considered for E&I, all the way through the end of the summer.

Chris Mather (Feb 20, 2008 1:29:41 PM)
If candidates have additional specifics that might help round out an
application (e.g. more details on goals) is it appropriate to send in
an email or should we only email new updates.

JenniferBurkeBarbaMIT (Feb 20, 2008 1:30:59 PM)
Chris, details on your goals are good, but our entire evaluation
process is based on past performance. We actually don't put too much
weight on future goals, because we have evidence that shows most likely
those goals will change once you start our program. It is important for
you to communicate why MIT Sloan is the best fit for you.

A. Hartman (Feb 20, 2008 1:31:12 PM)
Would all future interviews be on-campus? Or are there still regional options?

JenniferBurkeBarbaMIT (Feb 20, 2008 1:32:01 PM)
A. Hartman, there are still regional options, especially through out
the R2 process. After that, I'll figure out travel for interviews based
on the geographic spread of where people are.

LocoJohnny (Feb 20, 2008 1:32:04 PM)
Are people on the R1 waitlist bound to the same timeline as those who
applied R2? Is it likely to hear anything before the R2 decision date?

JenniferBurkeBarbaMIT (Feb 20, 2008 1:32:48 PM)
Loco, no, round 1 applicants should not expect a decision on the round
2 deadline day. Most likely you will not hear anything until after
round 2 decisions are made.

Qwerty (Feb 20, 2008 1:32:52 PM)
If we were to visit the Sloan campus while on the waitlist, would you like to know when we are visiting?

JenniferBurkeBarbaMIT (Feb 20, 2008 1:33:48 PM)
Qwerty, it's not necessary to tell me when you're coming. There's
always admissions officers on campus, and if you do visit you're
welcome to stop in and say hello. But, we cannot guarantee that someone
could meet with you.

Hamid (Feb 20, 2008 1:34:03 PM)
I applied to the E&I program - are E&I waitlisted candidates
considered separately from the rest of the waitlisted applicant pool?

WY Tan (Feb 20, 2008 1:34:27 PM)
As international applicants, if we are not invited for interviews
during Round II process, would we still be given a chance to interview
in May/June - given the logistical difficulties? Would you conduct
phone interviews then?

JenniferBurkeBarbaMIT (Feb 20, 2008 1:35:13 PM)
WY Tan, it depends, we're always traveling, even during the summer. So
potentially you could still be interviewed closer to home in May/June.

EMW (Feb 20, 2008 1:35:22 PM)
Jennifer, how early were you able to notify waitlist candidates last
year when you realized that the class was full and no waitlist
candidates were admitted?

JenniferBurkeBarbaMIT (Feb 20, 2008 1:36:49 PM)
Not until August. Basically we will tell wl candidates that the class
is over subscribed (if it is), but we will always keep an active wl up
until the end because we need to make sure we have students to fill our
spots. Sometimes another school will go to their wl and admit several
of our incoming students... if that happens, we need a wl to pull from. Even if it's on Sept. 1.

tina (Feb 20, 2008 1:36:51 PM)
If we are not 100% that we would accept the offer from Sloan, should we take ourselves off the waitlist?

JenniferBurkeBarbaMIT (Feb 20, 2008 1:37:23 PM)
Tina, it's up to you. But if you do decide that you would not accept our offer, please let me know.

Gabriel Ho (Feb 20, 2008 1:37:27 PM)
This is Gabriel. I think I had a bad interview and I would like to meet
with you or someone from the Adcom personally. What is usually the best
time to visit Sloan?

JenniferBurkeBarbaMIT (Feb 20, 2008 1:38:27 PM)
Gabriel, we cannot meet with you again. We do not schedule second
interviews or meetings with wl candidates. If you decide to visit
campus, you can stop in our office, but we cannot guarantee that
someone can talk to you.

Sherwin (Feb 20, 2008 1:38:37 PM)
Why does Sloan have a waitlist policy that involves a lot of, what
seems like, "sucking up"? Why doesn't the school use a more fair
process like Wharton's, where applications are reconsidered in the next
round?

JenniferBurkeBarbaMIT (Feb 20, 2008 1:39:50 PM)
Sherwin, we don't use a process of "sucking up". We want to allow the
candidates on the wl the freedom to update us with anything they find
relevant to their candidacy. I'm not aware of how other schools conduct
their wl.

Linda Abraham (Feb 20, 2008 1:40:15 PM)
To me this process is not about "sucking up," it's about showing
genuine interest. In my mind, while more effort, it is also more fair.
It gives you the opportunity to keep the Adcom informed of your latest
achievements. It is also a process that requires more effort on the
adcom's part and forces them to process more information, invest more
in the process of choosing a class, and base their decisions on more
complete information.

CL (Feb 20, 2008 1:40:26 PM)
If we are already in a "good" GMAT range (e.g. 700), could we improve our chances by a significantly stronger GMAT score?

JenniferBurkeBarbaMIT (Feb 20, 2008 1:40:55 PM)
Carsten, please do not retake the gmat if your score is 700. The gmat is only one very small piece of what we consider.

Daniel Mazor (Feb 20, 2008 1:41:05 PM)
Can we assume that the admissions committee refers to our application
when reading our correspondence, or should we provide context?

Chris_R (Feb 20, 2008 1:42:08 PM)
Is there a way for applicants to identify themselves as being willing to
be considered for atypical "acceptances" such as an acceptance into the
Class of 2011, or an acceptance pending 2 more years of work experience?

JenniferBurkeBarbaMIT (Feb 20, 2008 1:43:31 PM)
Chris, we don't allow for deferrals, so we would not really pursue that.
Last year was different, because we could not take anyone off the wl,
so we did offer a few people who were on the wl a spot in this year's
class. But that is the only time that has happened, and I hope we won't
have to do that again this year.

gongarda (Feb 20, 2008 1:44:22 PM)
The proposed decision dates when MIT might offer the WL applicant a
place go as far as Aug 29. Does that mean that R1 WL's can be passed to
R2 WL? Or are they just dropped? Is there any priority between R1 and
R2 WL's?

JenniferBurkeBarbaMIT (Feb 20, 2008 1:45:02 PM)
Gongarda, there's only one wl... we just add to it with round 2
candidates. In the past we've held round 1 wl candidates all the way
until Aug. 29.

PierreYves (Feb 20, 2008 1:45:23 PM)
Hi Jennifer, is there value to indicate we would 100% accept your offer at this point ?

JenniferBurkeBarbaMIT (Feb 20, 2008 1:45:38 PM)
Yes, but I'd like to see why.

BIS (Feb 20, 2008 1:45:49 PM)
Hi Jen, thanks for doing this. Would our interviewers be able to tell
us what area of our application is weakest-- so we could use an update
to comment on that topic? Either way, how can we get in touch with our
interviewer? Thanks.

lovesloan (Feb 20, 2008 1:46:37 PM)
Hi Jen, what about international students already in the US? Will the July deadline apply to us as well?

JenniferBurkeBarbaMIT (Feb 20, 2008 1:47:23 PM)
Lovesloan, the problem is we need to allow time for you to get a
student visa. If you have a green card, then you could be admitted all
the way up until Aug. 29

josh (Feb 20, 2008 1:47:59 PM)
When requesting an additional letter of rec, am I to provide my
recommender the same set of questions my original recommenders
received? If so, how do I go about acquiring them?

JenniferBurkeBarbaMIT (Feb 20, 2008 1:48:45 PM)
Josh, it's up to you. The recommendation letter questions can be
downloaded from our website. But have the letters sent via
mbawaitinglist@sloan.mit.edu, not submitted via the online application.

gongarda (Feb 20, 2008 1:48:58 PM)
Jen, if a WL changes her/his goals (or at least its approach to them)
during the WL period, I suppose s/he has to update MIT asap. Will this
hurt her/his chances to be admitted?

JenniferBurkeBarbaMIT (Feb 20, 2008 1:49:47 PM)
Gongarda, if you think it can help your candidacy we'd like to see it. But not sharing will not hurt your chances.

Gerard (Feb 20, 2008 1:49:54 PM)
Did you receive in 2008 more applications than in 2007?

Anjum Malik (Feb 20, 2008 1:50:15 PM)
Given your busy schedule, I would imagine that one complete "update"
might be preferable to frequent and potentially repetitive
correspondences. However, I'm wondering if candidates who reach out
with multiple correspondences would be viewed as more interested or
committed. Do you have a view on this based on your prior experiences
with wait list candidates?

JenniferBurkeBarbaMIT (Feb 20, 2008 1:50:44 PM)
Anjum, thanks for asking this! One update is perfect. You do not need to email once a week.

TimFisher (Feb 20, 2008 1:50:50 PM)
How many total people are going to be accepted into MIT Sloan this year?

JenniferBurkeBarbaMIT (Feb 20, 2008 1:51:09 PM)
Tim, we are looking to have an MBA class of 325 students.

Brian (Feb 20, 2008 1:51:27 PM)
Are MIT-owned housing options still available in May/June, or should those of us looking to move to Boston make alternate plans?

JenniferBurkeBarbaMIT (Feb 20, 2008 1:51:45 PM)
Brian, sometimes. Usually you can find something, but it might not be your 1st choice.

A. Hartman (Feb 20, 2008 1:52:13 PM)
Will there be any future meetings of this sort to clarify this year's particular changes of WL admittances?

JenniferBurkeBarbaMIT (Feb 20, 2008 1:52:43 PM)
A. Hartman I hope to do something similar after we admit people for round 2.

Scott Edinburgh (Feb 20, 2008 1:52:46 PM)
When submitting an additional recommendation, would you prefer a
shorter recommendation so as not to bombard you, as opposed to the
longer standard form?

JenniferBurkeBarbaMIT (Feb 20, 2008 1:53:15 PM)
Scott, either is fine. If your recommender has a lot to say, then a long letter is fine.

Tony (Feb 20, 2008 1:53:25 PM)
Given that application numbers are up this year, is it likely that this
will be another year when few (or zero) people will be admitted off the
WL?

JenniferBurkeBarbaMIT (Feb 20, 2008 1:54:10 PM)
Tony, I hope not. We've adjusted the number of people we accept as our
yield has increased each year. It just means it is a more competitive
year over all.

Anjum Malik (Feb 20, 2008 1:56:05 PM)
You mentioned that applications are up 30% this year. Is the number of
seats you're looking to fill (325 in total) higher than it was last
year?

JenniferBurkeBarbaMIT (Feb 20, 2008 1:56:26 PM)
Anjum, no the # of seats has stayed the same.

Brian (Feb 20, 2008 1:56:32 PM)
For those of us with significant others, do any significant other
oriented events happen over the summer that would be missed due to a
late waitlist admission?

JenniferBurkeBarbaMIT (Feb 20, 2008 1:56:59 PM)
Brian, yes unfortunately, SO events are happening all the time, along with admit events.

Linda Abraham (Feb 20, 2008 1:57:21 PM)
Thank you again all for participating today. Special thanks to Jen for
taking the time to virtually meet with you, provide this information,
and make this process as transparent and humane as possible.

Linda Abraham (Feb 20, 2008 1:57:27 PM)
Have a very good day! Good luck with your applications!